Kansas 1972: Voices of Vietnam Veterans
December 31, 2022
After more than two decades of involvement in the conflict in Vietnam, on October 26, 1972, National Security Advisor Henry Kissinger declared, “peace is at hand.” A peace agreement was signed just a few months later, and US troops left Vietnam. This episode features stories from Kansans who served in the Vietnam War. What led these Kansans to serve? What did they experience during the war? How did they navigate the complicated reactions to their service when they returned home? How did their service affect their lives? And what can we learn from these Kansas veterans’ experiences today?
Go Deeper
Archival Audio Sources:
- CBS News, Aug. 11, 1972
- CBS News, Oct. 26, 1972
- “Vietnam Vietnam,” documentary by John Ford (1971)
Primary Sources:
- Library of Congress, Veterans History Project
- Interviews conducted by Humanities Kansas of Vietnam vets, Library of Congress, Veterans History Project
- Kansas State Historical Society archives, record for “Kansas Stories of Vietnam” project
Secondary Sources:
- Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian website, “Native Words, Native Warriors - Ch. 5 Strength Through Culture.”
- Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian website, Resources on Native American veterans
Veteran Interviews:
Music:
- Clelia Walking
- Podington Bear
Gallery
ViewVietnam War Memorial, Washington D.C.
ViewVietnam War Memorial, Washington D.C.
ViewPatty Locher
ViewAlvin Matzke, center right, and his fellow soldiers prepare for a supply convoy in Vietnam. Courtesy of Onaga Historical Society.
ViewPost-It Notes indicate where Onaga, Kansas, residents served in Vietnam. Courtesy of Onaga Historical Society.
ViewJohn Musgrave